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No More Violence for Ethiopian Women

A dangerous catch-22 plagues many Ethiopian girls today: they must choose between marriage before the age of 16 or face intense manual labor and sexual slavery if they leave home. It's a life doomed for violence and injustice. But these girls don't have to suffer.

The Bright Future program, or Biruh Tesfa in Amharic, in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia helps low-income women and girls become assimilated into society by providing them academic education, life skills, and reproductive education. Mentors help the girls realize their true potential in society.

Sign the petition telling UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon the Bright Future Program is a monumental step in preventing violence against women.

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I am writing to express my support of the Bright Future program in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. In a region where violence, both physical and sexual, runs rampant, we need programs such as these to support women who need help.

Many girls in Ethiopia today face grim prognoses for their futures; women are often forced into intensive manual labor or sold off for sex in the sex trade. The best way to combat these horrible realities is to educate those who are at risk. The more information, assistance, and support we can provide these women, the more equipped they will be to recognize where there might be potential violence and to plan accordingly.

The Bright Future program is helping countless women escape from a bleak fate and become productive citizens in society. Please support Bright Future, and make all violence against women a thing of the past.